Hockeyroo Renee Taylor opens up on her career

Ten years later, in Paris, it was China again.

This time in a quarterfinal that ended her Olympic dream, and her international career. From beginning to end, the same opponent.

For Taylor, it was a reminder that sport has a way of writing its own poetry.

And now, the story loops back once more. Born in Launceston in 1996, raised in Queensland, Taylor has returned to Tasmania to finish where it all began — in the colours of the Tassie Tigers, the modern heirs of the Van Demons side where she first cut her teeth.

In 2014, Taylor missed selection for Queensland, so played alongside only current teammate Louisa Jacobson in a side that finished eighth and ironically her Van Demons debut came against fellow star recruit Jane Claxton’s SA Hotshots.

“It is a big full circle moment for me,” she said.

“Getting the opportunity to start my AHL career with the Tassie Van Demons, and then making my Hockeyroos debut from there, was incredibly special. It only felt natural that I should finish my career with Tassie.”

Taylor carries a tattoo: “Out of calmness comes chaos, and out of chaos comes order.” It’s more than ink. It’s a philosophy that carried her through 130 internationals, two Olympics, and the turbulence of elite sport.

Her Hockeyroos journey began in chaos. She was working at a law firm when the selection email arrived: she’d been named and had a week to move to Perth. “I burst into tears in a panic. I had a full‑time job, no money, how was I going to live in Perth? But six weeks later I was making my debut with my family in the stands.”

Family has been her anchor. They were there in Paris, after missing Tokyo due to Covid restrictions.

They were there for the highs: a World Cup bronze in 2018, a Commonwealth Games silver, and the lows: like back‑to‑back fifth‑place Olympic finishes.

“After Tokyo, I saw the campaign as a failure, that I was a failure,” she admits.

“I told myself Paris would fix everything. But going in, I had to accept that if we didn’t medal, it couldn’t define my career as a failure. For me, Paris became about walking off the pitch knowing I had done everything I could. Unfortunately, not everyone wins in sport. Someone has to lose and that day it was us.”

She is quick to credit outgoing Hockeyroos coach Katrina Powell for steadying the ship.

“Triny came into the group during a tumultuous time, and I don’t believe anyone else could have brought the group together in nine weeks before an Olympic Games the way she did. She took the team to a Commonwealth Games silver, World Cup bronze and a Pro League bronze. That speaks for itself.”

Taylor sent Powell a text after her resignation: Your love and passion for the game, and the Roos, were second to none. “It was infectious. We didn’t always agree, but I always knew she wanted what was best for the team.”

Taylor’s decision to leave Brisbane Blaze after a decade was sparked by a mix of mateship and curiosity.

“Claxton and Steph Kershaw rang me in May and said, ‘come play for Tassie with us.’ The opportunity to play with some good mates again was inviting and the idea of doing it with Tassie was a chance to have some fun, do something different and finish my career where it started,” she said.

Her father’s passing shortly after Paris has given this chapter even deeper meaning. “Anytime you lose someone, you carry them with you. He loved everything about hockey. Losing Dad made coming to hockey hard as he isn’t there anymore and it’s a constant reminder.”

Now her hockey friends have become even more important, becoming her family.

“It’s where my support network and my family are. It’s where I can show up and be surrounded by people that love and care for me.”

Now, Taylor is back where it all began. She knows her role is less about flash, more about presence and leadership.

“I think what I will bring is some experience and encouragement to the back group to allow them to play their game. I can bring a presence at the back which gives everyone else the licence to do what they do well.” She wants Tassie fans to see her passion.

“I’ve been told I’m quite a loud person on a hockey field and can come across quite blunt, but hopefully they see someone that wants to see everyone around them lift and improve.”

From Launceston to Perth, from Sydney to Paris, from Van Demons to Tigers. Renee Taylor’s story is one of circles closing, of chaos finding order, of family and a deep love for the game.

The Tassie Tigers will face NSW Pride on Saturday, October 18 at Narellan from 2.30pm. The action will be broadcast live on 7Plus.

Written by Adam Clifford for the Mercury

Photo credit: Adam Head & HKM Media